Hill Country Alliance Honors Photographers

Sometimes the Texas Hill Country shares its bewitching beauty openly; other times it requires planning to be in the right place at the right time. Thirteen photographers will share their stunning photographic scenes when the 2013 Hill Country Alliance (HCA) calendar goes on sale this week. "All the photos selected for the calendar not only delight the eye, but convey the fragile relationship we have with the trinity of land, sky and water in the region," said HCA Executive Director Christy Muse. "HCA and its partners are committed to protecting the ecosystem of the Hill Country so that it can be enjoyed responsibly for years to come. We're gratified that these photographers have depicted our region with such meaning." Grand prize-winning photographer Rob Greebon made several trips to Pedernales Falls State Park to plan and photograph the night sky vision of the Milky Way above the park. First place winner John Bryant Baker took his winning photo on the San Marcos River in the early spring of 2011. Said Baker, "I grew up in Fredericksburg so the Hill Country is in my blood, and developing a deeper connection and understanding of this land and these rivers is important to me." Leslie Shoots, second place winner, shot his winning photo last summer during the long hot drought. "I first came across this dried up mud hole along the banks of the river. Later when long-awaited rains finally came, I found it filled with water with the cracked mud still visible on the bottom," he said. "Seeing the lone bush reflected on the surface, I turned my camera upside down to put it on the horizon."  Read more..